THE NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE: TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER IT, 1895 IE A L. BARE,Editor axd Pbopeietoe SUBSCRIPTION BATES. One Year, cash in advance, $1.23. Six Months, cash in advance 75 Cents, Entered at theNorthPlatte (Nebraska) postofflce as second-class matter. W. A. McKeighan, ex-congress man, died at Hastings last Satur day morning. The deceased had been in failing health for a year past. In the. last five months France has bought from us $6,000,000 less and sold us $12,000,000 more than in the corresponding months last year. We are getting hold ot the markets of the world, but it is by the hot end. Senator Kxute Nelson of Min nesota will never olease the New York Sun until he ceases to eat pie with his knife. The Sun believes that knives in pie eating are super fluous luxury. Pie says the Sun, should be eaten in the hand. The bill of Senator Lodge intro duced Friday contemplates the re striction of immigration on a basis of the abillity of the newcomers to read and write in some language. This is directly in the line for which Immigration league has been work ing for years. The opinion that Mr. Bayard put his foot in it seems to be al most unanimous on both sides of the water. It will be hard, but we believe that it will be necessary to come back and live among the "self-confident and often times vio lent people" of the United States. Journal. Judge Nugent, the leading pop ulists, is reported to be on his death bed. Judge Nugent is the man who was mentioned by Sena tor Peffer as a possible competitor of Senator Allen for the populist presidential nomination. If he is out of the way Senator Allen is likely to have things to ' his own liking in the populist national con vention. Bee. Another ransomed sinner has re turned home. This time it is Dr. Sampson Pope, who was the anti Tillman candidate for governor of South Carolina. He has joined the republican party because, as he says, "that party is the party of protection, not only of manufac tures and labor, but also of the rights of the citizen under the constitution of the United States. Speaker Reed has the faculty of revamping a chestuut until you can't tell its age. His latest achievement of this sort was when an Arizona man was boasting to him of the climate of that territory. He said: "Tut, tut, man! I' have been to Fort Yuma and I know your climate. "When a bad man dies down there he does not notice the transition. . Forty thousand tons of prunes were harvested in the Santa Clara valley, Calitornia, this year, and the raisers complain that the pres ent selling price hardly equals the cost of production.. Not having an international Newberry law, it is impossible to effect a mutually profitable exchange of Nebraska corn for California prunes, which accounts for much of that spirit of popular unrest that has been at tributed to the inefficiency of Gro ver Cleveland's financial policy. Journal. IT may be that Ambassador Bay ard will not be impeached for his public utterances in England con cerning America and its citizenship but he certainly needs to be remind ed that he is an American repre sentative and has no moral or legal right to pander to the British until he has foresworn his nominal allegi ance to the country from which he draws his pay. Democratic repre sentatives to England have been given to too much of this sort of thing and it is high time they were being forcibly reminded of their ex ceedingly bad taste. Ex. 9- O As a result of the recent payment of the indemnity by China to Japan the officials of the former country have resumed possession of Port Arthur and the Laio Tung penin sula. That payment, by the way, illustrated how easily a debt can be paid without the use of money. Representatives of both govern ments met in the parlors of the Bank of England. After a brief conversation the Chinese represent ative bowed and handed a piece of paper representing about $20,000, 000 to an intermediary envoj, who in turn gave it with a bow to the representative of Japan. The latter bowed and handed it to the gover nor ot the bank who bowed and placed it -to the credit of the Japa nese nation. Then they all bowed, and that was all there was to it. As the gold represented by the paper would have filled several carts, it was found more convenient to leave it on deposit. Ex. BY OTTQLENGUI Copyright, 1895, by G. P. Putnam's Boris. CHAPTER I JL GENTLEMAN THINKS HE CAN C03TAOT A CRIME AND ESCAPE DETECTION. If T v r ... "jacic jtfarnes never gets left, you bet." 'That was a close call, though," re plied the Pullman porterwho had given Mr. Barnes a helping hand irihis des perate effort to board the midnight ex press as it rolled out of Boston. " wouldn't advise you to jump on moving trams often." "Thank you for your good advice and for your assistance. Here's a quarter for you. Show me to my section. I am near ly dead, I am so tired.." ' Upper 1 0. Right th'is way. sir. It is all ready for you to turn in. " When Mr. Barnes entered the coach, no one was in sight If there were other passengers, they were abed. A few min utes later he himself was patting two little bags of feathers and placing one atop of the qther in a vain attempt to make them serve as one pillow. He had told the porter that he was tired, and this was so true that he should have fallen asleep quickly. Instead his brain seemed specially active and sleep im possible. Mr. Barnes Jack Barnes, as he called himself to the porter was a detective, and counted one of the shrewdest in New York, where he controlled a pri vate agency-established by himself. Ho had just completed what ho considered a most satisfactory piece of work. A large robbery had been committed in New York, and suspicion of tho stron gest nature had pointed in the direc tion of a young man who had immedi ately been arrested. For ten days the press of the country had been trying and convicting the suspect, during which time Mr. Barnes had quietly left the metropolis. Twelve hours before we met him those who read the papers over their toast had been amazed to learn that the suspect was innocent and that the real criminal had been apprehended by the keen witted Jack Barnes. What was bet ter, he had recovered the lost funds, amounting to $80,000. He had had a long chase after his man, whom he had shadowed from city to city and watched day and night, ac tuated to this course by a slight clew in which he had placed his faith. Now, his man fast in a Boston prison, he was on his way to New York for requisition papers. As lie Had said, He was tired, yet despite his need of complete rest his thoughts persisted in rehearsing all the intricate details of the reasoning which had at last led him to the solution of the mystery. As he lay in his upper berth awake these words reached his ears : "If I knew that man Barnes was aft er me, I should simply surrender. " This promised to be the beginning of an entertaining conversation, and as he could not sleep Mr. Barnes prepared to listen. Extensive experience as a detect ive had made him long ago forget the philosophic arguments for and against eavesdropping. The voice which had at tracted him was low, but his ears were keen. Ho located it as coming from, the section next ahead of his, No. 8. A sec ond voice replied : "I have no doubt that you would. But I wouldn't You overestimate the ability of the modern detective. I should actually enjoy being hounded by one of them. It would be so much pleas ure, and, I think so easy, to elude him. " The last speaker possessed a voice which was musical, and he articulated distinctly, though he scarcely ventured above a loud whisper. Mr. Barnes cau tiously raised his head, arranging his pillows so that his ear would be near the partition. Fortunately the two men next to him had taken the whole sec tion, and the upper berth had been al lowed to remain closed. Mr. Barnes now found that he could readily follow the conversation, which continued thus : "But see how that Barnes tracked this Pettingill day and night until he bad trapped him. Just as the fellow supposed himself safe he was arrested. You must admit that was clever work." "Oh, yes, clever enough in its way, but there was nothing speoially artistic about it. Not that the detective was to blame. It was the fault of the criminal. There was no chauce for the artistic. " Yet Mr. Barnes had used that very ad jective to himself in commenting upon his conduct of this case. The man con tinued: "The crime itself was inartis tic Pettingill bungled, Barnes was shrewd enough to detect the flaw, and with his experience and skill in such cases the end was inevitable." "It seems to 'me either that you have not read the full account of the case or else you do not appreciate the work of the detective. Why, all the clew he had was a button." "Ah ! Only a button, but such a but ton! That is where I say that the crimi nal was inartistic. He should not have lost that button." "It was an accident, I suppose, and one against which lie coma not nave guarded. It was oue of the exigencies of his crime." "Exactly so, and it is these little ac cidents, always unforeseen, though al ways occurring, which hang so many, and jail so many, and givo our detect ives such an easy road to fame. That is the gist of the whole matter. It is an unequal game this between the criminal and the detective. ' ' I don't catch what you are driving at." "I'll give yon a dissertation on cnn7j. Attend 1 In ordinary business it is brains versus brains. The professional man con tends with his fellows, and if he would win the race toward fortune he must show more brains. The commercial man competes with other tradesmen all as clever as himself. So it goes from the lawyer to the locksmith, from the preacher to the sign painter. It is brains rubbing against brains, and wo get the most polished thoucht as the result Thus the science of honest living pro gresses. ' "What has this to do with the crimi nal class?" teach you in his own way. Wif-h the criminal it is different He is matched against his superior. Those in his own class do not contend with him. They are rather his partners, his 'pals,' as they term it. His only contention, tbero foro. ia with the detectives who xepre- Highest of all in Leavening Absolutely pure sent society and the Jaw. Ho man; i suppose, is a criminal from choice, and it is the criminal's necessity which leads to his detection." "Then all criminals should be caught?" "All criminals should bo caught That they are not is a strong argument against your detective, for every crim inal, we may say, is actuated by neces sity, and therein lies the possibility of his defeat. For example, you may claim that the expert burglar lays his plans in advance, and that, the crime being pre meditated, he should be able to make such careful prearrangements that he could avoid leaving -telltale marks be hind him. This, however, is rarely the case, for this reason the unexpected often if not always happens, and for that he has not prepared. In a moment he sees prison ahead of him, and his fear steals away his caution, so that, as we have Eeen, he does leave a clew be hind him." "But when you say the unexpected happens you admit the possibility for that to occur which could not havo been premised, and therefore could not have been guarded against" "That is true as the case stands. But remove the necessity which actuates our criminal and make of him simply a scientific man pursuing crime as an art ! In the first place, we get an individual who will prepare for more accidents, and, secondly, would know how best to meet emergencies which occur during the commission of his crime. For exam ple, if you will pardon the conceit, were I to attempt a crime I should be able to avoid detection." "I should think that from your inex perience as a criminal you would be run to earth well, about as quickly as this man Pettingill. This was his first crime, you know." "Would you be willing to make a wager to that effect?" This last remark fairly startled Mr. Barnes, who instant ly understood the meaningt which, -however, at first escaped the other listener. He waited eagerly for the reply. "I don't grasp the idea. Make a wager about what?" "You said that were I to commit a crime l suouia Do captured about as quickly as Pettingill. If you wish, I will wager that I can commit a crime which will be as much talked of as his, andthatlwill not be captured, or rather I should say convicted. I would not bet against arrest, for, as we have seen in this very case, the innocent are some times incarcerated. Therefore I stipulate for conviction. " "Do I understand yon to seriously of fer to commit a crime merely to decide a wager? You astound me!" "No more perhaps than Pettingill has surprised his friends. But don't be alarmed. I shall assume all responsibil ity. Besides, remember it is not crime that is scowled upon in this century, but detection. I wager with you against that Come, what do you say? Shall it be 1,000? I waut a little excitement!" "Well, you shall havo it At least you shall have the excitement of paying the. Mr. Barnes cautiously raised his head. thousand dollars to me, for, though I think you aro not really intending to become a criminal in either event, I may as well profit by your offer." "What do you mean by 'in either event?' " "Why, if you do not commit a crime, you pay, and if you do I am sure that you would ne caught. Then, however much I should regret your disgrace, I warn you that I should cut you dead and take your money. " "Then you accept the wager?" "I do!" "Done. Now for the conditions. Tarn to have one month in which to plan and commit my crime, and one year for avoiding the detectives. That is, if lam free at the end of one year and can prove to you that I committed a crime within the stipulated period, I win the wager. If I am in jail awaiting trial, the bet cannot be settled until the law has had its" way and I am either proved inno- nt or guilty. Is that satisfactory?" "Perfectly. But what class of crimo will you commit?" My friend, you are inquisitive. The wager is on, and my boasted caution must begin. Therefore I must not tell you anything of the naturo of my in- ended crime." "Why, do you suppose for an instant that I would betray you?" "Well, yes, that idea does occur to me. .Listen. As I said before, the ne cessities of the criminal prove his Nem esis. The necessities involve the object of the crime. That is always a good starting point in following up a mysteri ous case. The more unusual the object he better, dnce it will fit fewer people. Plunder is the commonest and there fore the least promising to trace from. Bevenge is common also, but better, be cause the special revenge connected with the deed must lead to the special indi vidual most likely to execute such re- V . v venge. in tms instance l mean my own case the object of the crime is so unique that the detective who discovers it should be able to convict me. A crime committed to decide a wager is perhaps new." "Its vry novelty is your best safe guard. " "Yet there are two ways bywhich it may bo discovered, and that is two too many. Had I undertaken this affair secretly there would really have been Power. Latest U. S. Gov't Report j Baking but a single way tor one to "learn my secret my own confession. As men have been weak enough to do this before now, I should even in that instance have tak en precautions. But with my secret in the possession of a second party the posi tion is more complex. " - "I assure you on my honor that I will not betray you. I will agree to forfeit five times the wager in suoh an event." "I prefer that you should be perfectly at liberty in the matter. I expect it to be thus. In your own mind at present you do not think that I shall carry out my purpose. Therefore your friendship for me is undisturbed. Then you count that, if I do commit a crimo, it will be some trivial one that you may bring your con science to oxcuse, under the circum stances. But let us suppose that a really great crime should be reported, and for some reason you should suspect me. You will hurry to my rooms before I get out of bed and nsk me flatly whether I am guilty. As flatly I should refuse to en lighten you. Yon would take this as a confession of guilt. You would perhaps argue that if your surmise were correct you would be an accessory before the fact, and to shield yourself and do your duty you would make a clean breast of it" "I am beginning to be offended, Bob. I did not think you would trust me so little!" "Don't get angry, old man. Kemeni ber that only a few minutes ago you warned me that you would cut me dead after the crime. Wo artistic criminals must be prepared against every contin gency." "I did not think when I spoke. I did not mean it ' ' "Yes, you did, and I am not at all angry. Let it be understood then that you will be at liberty to repeut the facts about this wager should your conscience prick you. It will be best for me to ex pect and bo prepared for such action. But you have not asked what the second danger of discovery is. Can you guess?" "Not unless you mean as you sug gested, your own confession. " ."No, though that really makes a third chance. Yet it is so simple. Have you noticed that we can hear a man snor ing?" "No!" "Listen a moment 1 Do you not hear that? It is not exactly a snore, but rather a troubled breathing. Now that man is in the third section from us. Do you see tho point?" "I must confess that I would not make a detective." "Why, my dear boy, if we can hear that fellow, why may not some one in tho next compartment bo listening to our tete-a-tete?" Mr. . Barnes fairly glowed with admiration for the fellow's careful consideration of every point "Oh, I guess not! Everybody is asleep." "Tho common criminal from neces sity takes chances like that without counting on them. I shall not There is a possibility, however remote, that some one, in No. 10, say, has overheard us. Again, he may even be a detective, and, worse yet, it might be your Mr. Barnes himself." "Well, I must say if you prepare against such long odds as that you de serve to escape detection !" "That is just what I will do. But the odds are not so great as you imagine. I read in an afternoon paper that Mr. Barnes had remained in Boston in con nection with properly securing his pris oner during the clay, but that he would leave for New York tonight Of course the newspaper may have been wrong. Then in saying "tonight" it may have been inaccurate, but supposing the statement were true, then there were three trains upon which he might have started, one at 7 o'clock, one at 11 and this one. One in three is not long odds. " "But even if he is on this train there are ten coaches." "Again you are wrong. After his hard work on this Pettingill case he would be sure to take a sleeper. Now, if you recall the fact, I did not decido to go to Now York tonight till the last minute. Then we found that ve could not get a whole section and were about to bunk together in a lower berth when, several more people applying, they de termined to put on another coach. There fore, unless Mr. Barnes secured his ticket during the day, he would inevi tably have been assigned to this coach. " "Had yon any special reason for sug gesting No. 10?" "Yes; I know that No. 6 is unoc cupied. But jnst as we started some one came in, and, I think,' took the upper berth of No. 10." Mr. Barnes began to think that he would have exceedingly difficult work to detect this man in crime were he really to commit one in spite of the fact that he knew so much in advance. The conversation continued : "Thus, you see, there are two ways by which my object may become known, a serious matter if unguarded against As, however, Irecognize the possibilities in advance, there will bo no difficulty whatever, and tho knowledgo will be of no. value to any detective, even though ho be your Mr. Barnes. " "How will you avoid that danger?" "My dear boy, do you suppose for an instant that I would reply to that after pointing out that a detective may be lis tening? However, I will give you an idea. I will show you what I meant when I said that Pettingill had blun dered. You said that he had lost only a button and thought it clever in Barnes to trace him from the button. But a button may be a most important thing. If I should lose one of the buttons of my vest while committing a crime, Mr. Barnes would trace mo out in much less than ten days, and for this reason they are the only ones of the kind in tho world." "How does that happen? I supposed that buttons were made by the thou sand." "Not all buttonB. For reasons which I need not tell the possibly listening de tective, a friend traveling abroad had a set made specially and brought them back to mo as a present. They are hand somely cut cameos, half the set haying the profile head of Juliet and the "ewers a similar face of Romeo. " "A romance?" "That is immaterial. Suppose that I should plan a robbery in order to decido this wager. As necessity would not urge me either as to time or place, I should choose my opportunity, let us say, when but one person guarded the' treasure. That one I should chloroform and also tie. Next, I should help myself to tho designated plunder. Suppose that as I were about to depart a sleeping, uncal culated for pet dog should jump out and bark furiously? I reach for it, and it snaps at me, biting my hand. I grapple it by the throat and stranglo it, but in its death throes it bites my vest, and a button falls to the ground and rolls away. The dog is at last silenced. Your ordinary burglar by this time would bo so unnerved that he would hasten off, not even realizing that he had been bit ten, that blood had flowed, or that tho button was lost. Mr. Barnes is sent to the house the next day. The lady sus pects her coachman, and Mr. Barnes consents to his arrest, not because he thinks him guilty, but because, as the mistress thinks so, he may be, and then more especially, his arrest will lull the fear of the real culprit Mr. Barnes would observe blood on tho ground, on the dog's mouth, and he would find the button. From the button ho would find Mr. Thief, with his hand bitten, and thero you are. " "But how should yon avoid all that?" "In the first place, were I really wise, I should not have telltale buttons about me at such a time. But let us suppose that the time had not been of my own choosing; then the buttons might have been with me. Assured as I should have been that the only person in the house lay chloroformed and tied, I should not have, lost my nerve, as did the other in dividual. Neither should I have allowed myself to be bitten, though if the acci dent had occurred I should have stopped to wash up the stain from the carpet while fresh, and also from the dog's mouth. I should have discovered the loss of the button, searched for and re covered it, untied the victim and opened the windows, that the odor of chloroform could pass off during the night. In fact, in the morning the only evidence of crime would have been the strangled dog and the absence of tho pelf. " "It is easy enough to explain your ac tions under supposi ti tious circumstances. But I doubt if in Pettingill's shoes you would have been able to retain your presence of mind and recover the lost button which led to his final arrest" "It is possible that you are right, for had I been Pettingill I should havo been coerced by necessities as he was. Yet I think I should not have planned such a robbery, choosing any own time as he did, and then have taken with me such a button. But from Mr. Barnes' stand point, as I said before, very little of the artistic was needed. The button was constructed of a curious old coin. Mr. Barnes went the rounds of the dealers and found the very man who had sold Pettingill the coin. The rest was routine work." "Well, you are conceited, but I don't mind making a thousand out of your egotism. Now I am sleepy, however, so good night" "Good night, old man. Dream of a way to earn an extra thousand, for I shall win." For Mr. Barnes himself sleep was now more impossible than ever. He was attracted to this new case, for so he counted it, and was determined to trap the individual who wagered against his acumen. It was a long step toward suc cess to know as much as he had over heard. He would not lose sight of his man during tho allotted month. He en joyed the prospect of allowing him to commit his crime and then quietly tak ing him in the act Carefully and noise lessly he dressed himself and slipped out of hia berth. Then he crept into one opposite, so that he could have his eye on No. 8, and settled down for an all night vigil. "It would notsurprisomeif that keen devil were to commit his crime this very night I hope so, for otherwiso I shall have no sleep till he does." CHAPTER IL A DARING AND SUCCESSFUL TI1A1N ROB BEttY. Tho train was just approaching Stam ford, and from the window in the sec tion which he occupied Mr. Barnes was watching the sun glowing red over the hilltops, when he heard approaching him the guard who had assisted him to jump aboard the night before. The man was making mysterious gestures? from which Mr. Barnes understood that he was wanted. Ho arose and followed the porter to the smoking room. "I think yon called yourself Barnes, " said the man, "as you jumped aboard last night." "Yes; what of it?" "Aro you Mr. Barnes, tho detective?" "Why do you ask?" "Because, if you are, the conductor wants to see you. There was a big rob bery committed on the train during the night." "The devill" "Exactly, but will you come into the next coach?" "Wait a minute." Mr. Barnes went back into the main part of the coach and tiptoed toward No. 8. Gently mov ing the curtains, ho peeped in and looked long and earnestly. He saw two men undoubtedly sleeping soundly. Satisfied, therefore, that he could leave his watch for a brief period, he followed the porter into the next coach, whers he found the conductor waiting for him in the smoking room. "You are Mr. Barnes, the detective?" asked the conductor. Mr. Barnes as sented. "Then I wish to placo in your hands officially a most mysterious case. We took on a lady last night at Bo3ton, who had a ticket to South Norwalk. As wo were approaching that point a short time ago she was notified by tho porter. She arose and dressed preparatory to leaving tho train. A few minutes later I was hurriedly summoned, when the woman, between hysterical Eobs, in formed me that she had been robbed. " "Of much?" "She claims to miss a satchel contain ing $100,000 in jewelry." "You have stated that adroitly. Sho claims to miss! What evidence havo you that she has met with any loss at all?" "Of course we cannot tell about the jewelry, but she did have a satchel, which is now missing. Tho porter re members it, and we have searched thor oughly, with no success." "We havo stoDued at New Haven and CONTINUED ON THIRD PAGE. W. W. YOUNG DEHLEH IN- LUMBER HERSHBY. ,We have just established a ; r.n i r i uie currying a mil siock oi luinoer, building material and coal. Evergr thing in our line is guaranteed to be sold as low as at any point in thl county, and we shall be glad to figure on your bills. W. H. HILL, Manager. A. F. STREITZ Drugs, Medicines, Paints, Oils, PAINTEES' SUP'FLITCS, WINDOW GLASS, -:- MACHINE IOia,m.a,rLta, Spectacles. Deutsche A-potlieke Corner of Spruce and Sixth-sts. iftffl Mis' JIaidWe.$oie. j Ut Wls ! Call there for all kinds of VwF f Seasonable I W ( Hardware, j If IV PRICES LOW. 'j, JT Cash Tells. ' WALL-PAPER, PAINT AND OIL DEPOT, WINDOW GLSS, VARNISHES, GOLD LEAP, GOLD PAINTS, BRONZES, ARTISTS' COLORS AND BRUSHES, PIANO AND FURNITURE POLISHES, PREPARED HOU-E AND BUGGY PAINTS, LSOMINE MATERIAL, WINDOW SHADES. 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